Shining Through
by Destiny Rose
Summary: Alt.Reality- Mamoru gets badly injured and loses all hope-- but there is someone who can shine through his pain and darkness....


Title: Shining Through  
By: Destiny Rose  
Rating: PG  
e-mail: Destiny_Rose@gmx.net  
  
Disclaimer: I do not own Sailor Moon or any of the   
characters, I'm just burrowing them.They rightfully belong to Naoko Takeuchi,   
Bandai, Toei Animation, etc.  
This story is minethough.  
  
This is my first story so, please tell me what you think   
about it!!!  
  
I want to dedicate this story to my mom who died exactly one   
year ago(Jan.18th,2000). She had always given me the strength   
to do ever I wanted to do. Writing this fic somehow freed me   
and I felt a lot better after having finished it; that's   
because a lot of Mamoru's feeling in my story are my own.   
  
I also want to dedicate this story to my good friend   
Mamolove; without her help I would have never posted this   
story and I think I would have never finished it as well.   
Thanks, for all the time you spent helping me with my   
story!!! And I also want to thank you for being such   
wonderful friend. * hug*  
*************************************************************  
@ --- Shining Through --- @   
  
The stars shone brightly on the night sky of Tokyo.  
Everything seemed to be calm and quiet but suddenly a cry  
of a man's shock and terror erupted.... and was frighteningly   
silenced by a thunderous crash.  
There was nothing but darkness and silence after that.  
  
"What's his status?"  
"Serious back injury, multiple lacerations, he's lost a lot of  
blood!"  
"How long has he been unconscious?"  
"45 minutes. We had to revive him ........ Oh my God!..  
we're losing him again!"  
"Shit! Bring the boy to the OR stat!"  
  
Mamoru found himself in one of his countless nightmares   
again.  
There was only darkness around him and he felt incredibly  
lonely. Suddenly he heard the crying of a child somewhere;  
he followed the sound until he saw where it had come from:  
a little boy at about the age of 6 was sitting on a hospital bed   
sobbing desperately, "Mommy, Daddy! Why did you leave   
me all alone?"   
  
Mamoru tried to reach out for the child who was himself but   
found that he couldn't. Looking down his body he saw   
chains around his wrists and ankles. He tried to break free but   
was simply too weak to do so. Then suddenly his younger   
self disappeared into the darkness once more and there was   
only silence again.  
  
Mamoru panicked . He had to get out of that nightmare   
quickly! Night after night the same scary dream haunted his   
sleep. He had enough of all the silence and darkness around   
him; one minute longer and he was sure he would go insane.   
He needed to see light and hear voices, if only the one of a   
speaker in the radio or those of the actors in some stupid   
movie.  
  
He forced himself to wake up, hoping his brain would   
carry out his plans to slip into consciousness again.  
Mamoru's eyes shot open but there was still no light. When   
things came into focus again he realized that it was already   
night.... the reason for the darkness.   
  
He then became aware of the fact that he was not in his   
apartment. He tried hard to remember what had happened.  
The last thing he knew was driving home from work.. and   
then it struck him like thunder..... the car crash!.. He   
remembered a bright white light that had surrounded him   
only to fade away a few seconds later .  
  
He looked around the room once more   
which seemed vaguely familiar. He took a deep breath   
and from the clinical smell he could tell that he was in   
a hospital. He hated hospitals from the depths of his   
soul ever since that one fateful night so many years ago and   
Mamoru felt a stinging pain in his heart at this memory. He   
closed his eyes for a moment and tried to collect his thoughts   
again. When he opened them again he suddenly became   
aware of his aching body and the terrible headache he had.   
Touching his forehead he could feel several cuts and bruises.   
But they were meaningless compared to the aching of his   
heart.   
  
He needed to get out of that hospital as quickly as possible.  
To many things that had been buried deep inside his soul for   
a very long time came to surface once more and he didn't   
want to relive past events once more. He had fought too long   
to become the man that he was now to remember all those   
terrible things from his past and to feel like a little boy again.   
He had become a very proud and ambitious young man who   
could do very well without anybody's help and he liked it   
that way.   
  
Deciding it was time to get out of that dreaded hospital   
Mamoru tried to get out of his bed to no avail. He made a   
second attempt but still couldn't get up. Then.... THUD!!   
Mamoru found himself on the hard tile floor again. That was   
when he realized that he couldn't move or even feel his legs  
anymore. At the same time the door opened and an elderly   
nurse entered the room.  
  
"Oh my! Come on, I'll help you get into your bed again.   
How did you manage to get out of it anyway?"   
With that she lifted the young man from the floor   
and helped him into his bed again. Mamoru could only   
wonder how in the world such a small person could lift a   
grown man from the floor. When he finally became aware of   
his current situation and had found his voice again he asked,  
"Where am I and what happened to me? Why can't I feel my   
legs anymore?"   
  
"Calm down Mr. Chiba. Try to sleep now. It's late and the   
doctor will look after you tomorrow morning." The nurse   
comforted him, or at least tried to but Mamoru only got more   
furious and snarled at the poor nurse,   
"CALM DOWN? YOU ACTUALLY DARE TO TELL ME   
TO CALM DOWN? I WANT TO SEE A DOCTOR NOW!   
I WANT SOME ANSWERS!"   
  
The old woman could only stare at the young man in front of   
her who obviously was very confused about his current   
situation and she couldn't help herself but feel pity for this   
boy. She didn't know why but to her he almost looked lost.   
Mamoru yelled at her for some more minutes before he felt   
something sting his right arm. The last thing he saw before he  
dozed off into a peaceful slumber was a syringe in the   
nurse's hand.   
  
The next morning Mamoru's head hurt terribly, whatever the   
nurse had given him must have been something to paralyze a   
wild bull.   
  
He could barely recall last night's events but he could   
remember about his legs and about his outburst of anger   
which had been directed at the poor nurse. He definitely had   
to apologize to her later.  
"Good morning Mr. Chiba."   
Mamoru looked up to see a man in a white coat- obviously a  
doctor- enter his room.  
"My name is Dr. Yamamoto. How are you today?"   
"How do you think I feel? I can't move or even feel my legs !"   
Mamoru answered coldly.   
"  
I'm sorry. Well, about your current situation: you got hurt   
quite badly in that car accident; you had more luck than the   
other driver though. He had been drunk and died on impact.   
Unfortunately your back was hurt seriously and that's why you   
can't move your legs." Foreseeing Mamorus next question the   
doctor continued his speech, "We don't know if it temporarily   
or permanent. That's why we transferred you from Tokyo   
hospital to this special clinic yesterday."   
  
" How long have I been unconscious?" Mamoru interrupted.  
"For about a week Mr. Chiba. A special team will take care of   
you here and a personal trainer will help you to learn to walk   
again, if possible. You just have to work very hard on yourself   
and in a few weeks we might see some progress ..... you just   
have to believe in yourself, young man!" Dr. Yamamoto   
exclaimed almost cheerfully before adding,   
" Do you have any relatives we should call Mr. Chiba?   
We tried to find somebody after nobody had asked for   
you for a week, but we couldn't find anybody."   
"That's okay. There is nobody I'd like to see anyway."   
Mamoru frowned.  
  
"I'll leave now. You will meet your trainer at noon."  
And with that the doctor exited the room and left Mamoru to  
his own thoughts again.   
  
He thought about his job and knew they would fire him for not   
showing up a week. Also would he have to do a lot of studying   
after he got out of that clinic. Suddenly the doctor's words hit   
him: they didn't know if he could ever walk again. Now that   
he thought of it he became quite desperate. He, who loved to   
jog in the morning and go to karate lessons at night and   
eventually would climb trees to view a wonderful sunset,   
would possibly never be able to do those things again.... Those  
that had become so precious to him over the years. The   
thought of being stuck in a wheelchair for the rest of his life   
disgusted him, scared him. If it was going to be like that it   
would have been better when he had died in the crash but he   
had thought that a long time ago as well, after his parents had   
died.   
  
He then remembered his days at the orphanage which he had   
tried so hard to forget:   
Whenever "new parents" had arrived, all the kids tried to look   
their best and behave as properly as possible to impress the   
potential parents.   
  
He had always tried to look as innocent and   
friendly as possible but nobody ever wanted him. They always   
took the blonde ones, nobody was interested in a raven haired   
boy with sad eyes. Mamoru had learned then that he would   
always be alone, that nobody would ever love him. Life had   
abandoned him. It hurt to think about it but Mamoru knew it   
was the truth. He would be alone for the rest of his life and die   
alone one day. How he wished he would have died in that last   
accident then he would not have to feel the pain anymore.   
"Who would ever love you, Mamoru? What is there to like   
about you? Sure there are a lot of girls drooling over your   
looks. If they knew the true me they'd be gone in a second."   
He sighed and then fell back on his bed and silent tears began   
roll down his cheeks. Tears for his lost childhood and tears for   
an already lost future. He was lying on his bed silently for a   
long time letting the pillow be soaked by his sorrow filled   
tears.   
  
"I hate hospital food!" a very frustrated Mamoru stated as he   
put down his fork disgustedly...... "Nobody could possibly like  
that!" It reminded him of his first stay at a hospital. The nurses   
had tried to make him eat that awful stuff and he remembered   
gulping down the stuff that tasted like nothing at all. He had   
always hated that food and had sworn to never eat it again in   
his life and here he was...eating hospital food.  
Suddenly he heard a voice on the corridor pleading,   
"Miss, could I please have another pudding. I like it sooooo  
much!" Mamoru could only shake his head in disbelief. Then   
he became aware of the most wonderful voice he had ever   
heard in his entire life saying,  
  
"Sorry Mr. Jameson but you already had two of them today   
but I promise if you'll work very hard tomorrow at our therapy   
you'll get an extra pudding. How does that sound?"   
"You promise?"   
  
"I promise!" and with that the cheerful voice entered   
Mamoru's room.  
  
He couldn't believe his eyes; in front of him  
stood the most beautiful being he had ever seen. A young   
woman at about the age of 21 or 22 stood in the doorway   
looking at Mamoru. He noticed her long golden hair which   
was done in the most unique hairstyle he had ever seen. Two  
buns on her head, which reminded him somehow of Odangos  
and the rest of her hair cascaded down from them to her   
ankles.   
  
Mamoru then looked at her angelic face and there he found the   
most beautiful baby blue eyes he had ever seen. He noticed   
that they radiated warmth and friendliness.   
  
"Hello Mr. Chiba! My name is Tsukino Usagi but you can call   
me Usagi. I am you personal trainer and we'll be working   
together for the next few weeks! Come on, let's get started!"   
The petite girl cheered.   
  
This girl definitely was too talkative and energetic for his taste.   
Mamoru only wanted to be left alone to think about his   
situation and that his life had no use anymore. He tried to tell   
the young woman- Usagi- to leave him alone but she didn't   
even notice him talking to her, she just kept on babbling. He   
couldn't take this no longer anger rising inside of him because  
of that ignorant girl; so he said or rather shouted the first thing  
that came into his mind:   
  
"Get lost! I don't want you help. Get   
on somebody else's nerves. So leave you- you..........   
ODANGO ATAMA!" Usagi immediately stopped talking and   
at first stared at him confused before she started to glare at him  
furiously.   
  
"How dare you insult me like that! I didn't do   
anything to you and you treat me like dirt. Not with me Mister!   
I'll be back again in an hour and you'd better be ready then or   
even kami- sama himself won't be able to rescue you!!!"   
Mamoru had never seen so much fire and determination in   
somebody's eyes before and it scared him. After saying that   
the young woman stormed out of the room. Outside Mamoru's   
room Usagi stopped and wondered how she could have been so  
harsh with this man who had to struggle with a lot of changes   
in his life and surely was very desperate about his situation.   
But she had said those things without even thinking, nobody   
else had ever make her react like that. She then shrugged it off   
and went out of the hospital building.   
  
She had noticed that Chiba Mamoru was only wearing the   
hospital pyjamas and obviously had no other clothes.  
She wondered why nobody had brought him some.   
" I've got one full hour.... hm... yes.. I definitely have   
to do some shopping." She told herself with a big smile on   
her face. She only wondered why the young man she had   
just met had such sad eyes- although she had to admit   
that they were very beautiful eyes.   
  
Then she decided she would help Mamoru to learn to walk   
again- if he wanted or not. Then she went to the next mall.   
Exactly one hour later Usagi reentered Mamoru's room and   
found him in his bed sleeping.   
  
She then noticed how incredibly handsome he was with his   
black silky hair and his bangs falling over his eyes,   
his perfect features. She also found out that all his   
sadness and coldness had disappeared from his face   
and she decided that she definitely liked him that way much   
better. Usagi didn't know why but she just wanted to take all   
his pain and sorrow from him.   
  
Although she didn't want to disturb his peaceful slumber she   
knew that they didn't have time to waste. So she gently shook   
his shoulders to wake him up. Mamoru shot up with a start and   
obviously didn't know where he was at first, but when he saw   
the petite woman stand beside him he remembered his   
situation.   
  
"You'd better get up now Chiba-san! We have a lot of work to   
do! Oh.... and before I forget it: I bought you some clothes for   
you can't walk around the clinic in your pyjamas. I hope they   
are the right size. Try them on! I'll be back in 5 minutes!"   
Mamoru couldn't believe that girl: at first she had shouted at   
him- which he had deserved he admitted- and now she had   
bought him some new clothes because she had noticed that he   
had none. He had to smile at that. This girl really was   
something special. For the first time in his life Mamoru had a   
tingling feeling in his stomach which he couldn't explain but   
knew it had something to do with Usagi.   
  
After five minutes she came back and found Mamoru sitting on   
his bed in his new sweat-suit. She smiled and helped him into   
the wheelchair. They made their way through the corridors and   
Mamoru noticed a lot of patients greeting Usagi and telling her   
they waited impatiently for their next therapy with her.   
  
People here obviously liked her and she seemed to be quite a  
nice person. Mamoru thought about their first meeting and had   
to smile because nobody had ever dared to talk back to him   
when he was angry; then he could become really scary. She   
affected him like nobody ever had before.   
  
When they finally arrived in the exercise room he let Usagi tell   
him what to do and they made muscle training for about an   
hour and Mamoru was already very exhausted.  
Normally he was in quite good shape but this training   
was simply too much for him.. too much concentration and focusing.   
Usagi always told him to imagine how his toes or feet would move   
and try to send commands to his brain. Usagi was very consequent and   
very strict and Mamoru inwardly begged for a break though he   
would have never admitted that he was exhausted. Usagi   
noticed his sweat soaked clothes and the tired look on his face  
and decided it was enough for one day.   
  
"So Chiba-san, we are finished for today and you did quite fine."   
"We are really done for today? Great! Ah yes.. and please   
call me Mamoru. You already torment me now you can call me by my   
first name as well."   
  
"Alright, Mamoru-san then. I'll bring you back to your room   
now and tell a nurse to help to the bathroom because I'm   
sure you want to take a bath after our little   
session, right?"   
"Usagi-san?"  
"Hmm?"   
"Can we go to the garden I saw from my window   
before we head back to my room?" Mamoru pleaded.   
Usagi nodded and showed him around the hospital   
garden. She also showed him her favourite place- a secluded   
rose garden which didn't really belong to the hospital grounds.  
Mamoru liked that place right from the start. They stayed   
there for some time chatting about God and the world.   
"This is were I spend most of my lunch breaks at. I simply love   
this place... it's so peaceful and calm and I love the smell of   
roses." the blonde sighed dreamily.  
  
Mamoru felt a strange peacefulness wash over him which he   
had never felt before and he silently wondered if it was   
because of Usagi. Suddenly he didn't want to give up anymore,   
he wanted to live and he knew it had something to do with that   
young cheerful woman sitting beside him.   
  
Usagi for her part felt somehow strange. She had the feeling   
that she had come at last from an endless journey and she knew   
that this man- Mamoru did something to her and touched her   
heart in away nobody ever had.   
  
That night Mamoru slept peacefully for the first time in his   
life. He didn't feel so burdened with his pain anymore and   
most important he didn't feel alone.   
  
From that day on the training hours with Usagi was something   
Mamoru was always looking forward to. He loved talking to   
Usagi in "their" rose garden afterwards, he always felt more   
relaxed and calm after one of their conversations. It was almost   
like having a real friend he supposed- he didn't exactly know   
though because he had never had real friends.   
  
Usagi also appreciated the little chats with Mamoru and found   
that she had never talked to anybody that freely before. She   
knew he needed a friend and she wanted to be his but she still   
argued with herself because she didn't know if it was right to   
build up a friendship with one of her patients. All her doubts   
flew out of the window when she entered Mamoru's room and   
saw his face light up at the sight of her.   
  
Mamoru had made a lot of progress in his training the last   
couple of weeks and Usagi was very proud of him and herself   
as well when he could finally move his toes again, which was a   
good sign. After the muscle exercise they went to their   
favourite place in the rose garden to talk a little bit. Mamoru   
who had never told anybody about his parents' death started to  
wonder if he could share his secret with Usagi who seemed so  
full of life and love for everything and he somehow knew she   
wasn't like those other people back then at the hospital when   
he was 6 who pitied him for being an Orphan.  
  
Finally, coming out of his dream world he stated "It's a very   
beautiful day, don't you think Usagi-chan?"  
No answer...obviously he hadn't been the only one dreaming.  
  
"Usagi-chan? Hey, you in there?"  
"Huh?.. Oh, I'm sorry.. I was so deep in thought I didn't hear   
you." She answered hurriedly smiling sweetly which made   
Mamoru's heart melt.  
  
"What were you thinking of?"  
  
"It's just my little brother, Sammy...... getting on my nerves   
again, you know."  
  
"No, I don't." Mamoru whispered almost audibly; almost   
because Usagi still caught it.  
"What do you mean, you don't know. You don't have any   
brothers or sisters?" the young woman asked innocently.   
Mamoru cringed and sighed, then took a deep breath deciding   
that this was the only person in the universe who would   
understand him and maybe she could take away some of his   
pain and loneliness "In fact I don't have a family at all. I'm not   
even sure who I really am." Usagi's eyes widened in shock as   
Mamoru continued telling her his story.  
  
When Usagi heard of his tragedy, losing his parents and every   
memory of them and his horrible life at the orphanage she was   
shocked at first but then admired Mamoru for the strength he   
had to go through such adversities alone...   
  
Out of reflex action she hugged him and whispered softly   
through her tears "I promise you'll never be alone anymore.  
I'll be your friend forever."  
  
Mamoru was quite surprised by that move but he enjoyed it   
very much and even hugged her back. Both of them had a   
strange but wonderful feeling of warmth and security while   
they embraced but neither of them could place it.   
  
Back in his room again Mamoru was floating on cloud nine.   
She had actually hugged him and he couldn't believe it. He   
wondered if she could feel something for him too. Usagi had   
become the light in his darkness that guided him back from his   
pain and loneliness to the light side of life. Mamoru thought a   
lot about this strange feeling he had had when they embraced   
and came to the conclusion that it must have been love- he was  
in love with the little cheerful rabbit.   
  
His only problem was- was there a chance that she could   
love him too, and at that point all his doubts about life   
came back to him: He knew he hadn't changed and was still the   
cold hearted man who built up high walls of stone around him.   
Mamoru sighed and went to sleep.   
  
What he didn't know that somewhere in Tokyo in a small   
apartment a certain Blonde haired girl was thinking about him   
and how he was the most amazing person she had ever met.   
Nobody in her entire life, not even her parents had ever taken   
her seriously and listened to what she had to say. To them she  
was just a cheerful, carefree girl who seemed to have no   
problems. But she had; she always wanted to make everybody   
happy no matter if that meant that she was unhappy. She   
always had thought that when all the others are happy she   
would be happy as well.   
  
This worked for some time and she really thought everything was   
fine until one day she found an emptiness inside of her,   
a hunger for something more- for someone who would understand her   
and take her for what she was. Usagi liked making people   
happy because it was in her nature and she always wanted to help   
those in need, she didn't see that some people took   
advantage of that.   
  
Mamoru woke up very early the next morning looking forward   
to seeing Usagi soon.   
  
Thankfully Usagi had been so nice to sort some things out for   
him at his college and his work. She was very enthusiastic   
when she heard that Mamoru wanted to become a doctor one   
day to help people and save their lives. She had arranged that   
someone would bring him his study material so he could study  
while he was still in hospital. Mamoru appreciated that very   
much and was awfully thankful for her help and also told her   
that she did not have to do that but she had only shook her   
head and had told him that she loved doing that for a friend.   
At that moment Mamoru had felt very special that an   
angel like Usagi was calling him a friend.   
  
He remembered a conversation they had had the day before:  
  
Tell, me Mamoru-san, what is your biggest dream?  
  
Well, I don't know. Maybe to be a doctor one day and save   
people's lives?he had said  
  
Liar, that isn't your biggest dream, I can see it in your eyes.   
What do you wish for most in this world?  
  
You really wanna know? Usagi had nodded My biggest wish   
is to have a family of my own one day and to never be alone   
anymore...... tell me Usagi-chan what is your greatest dream?  
My biggest dream is to find the perfect guy and have a lot of   
children with him!   
  
Mamoru remembered her giggling after she had said this and   
he had realized that their dreams were almost the same.  
  
Mamoru expected Usagi to come at noon as usual and waited   
for her patiently, although he knew that she always was a little   
late. He had fallen asleep when the noise of his door being   
opened woke him up. Mamoru sat up with a start and stared   
towards the door.   
  
In the doorway stood a tall young man with blond hair and   
blue eyes. Mamoru looked at him quite confused and asked   
him what he wanted and who he was.   
  
"Oh sorry I woke you up pal! I was looking for somebody- a   
girl- her name's Usagi and at the reception they told me she   
should be here now. Well she isn't -could have guessed that   
she is late! Isn't she always?" the young man laughed in an   
arrogant manner.   
  
A few moments later Mamoru heard an all too familiar giggle   
outside of his room and the next thing he saw almost made his  
heart beat stop: When Usagi saw the young man standing in   
Mamoru's doorway she ran up to him and hugged him fiercely   
with the words   
  
"Oh Jeremy, I didn't expect you back from San Francisco   
this week, but it's so great to have you back! I missed   
you so much!" and with that said she kissed him lightly   
on the lips and Mamoru's jaw dropped to the floor. The only   
thing he could think of was "She has a boyfriend..... why didn't   
she tell me?", and for the first time in his life he felt   
heartbroken.   
  
It was different from the pain he had had when   
his parents had died so many years ago. He felt desperate and   
empty. He knew from the beginning that it was not right to fall   
for that girl but he couldn't help it, she had touched something   
in him nobody ever had. He felt like falling back into that   
black deep hole again which had been his live for so long but   
some part of him, though it was very small, told him not to   
give up- that Usagi was something special and worth fighting   
for. And somehow that gave him strength again.   
  
When the couple had stopped kissing Usagi looked at Mamoru   
and blushed furiously. Was that hurt she had seen in his eyes   
for a moment? When she had seen Jeremy she just ran to him   
without a second thought but now after she had realized that   
Mamoru had been watching them she felt somehow guilty as if   
she had betrayed him in a way- maybe she should have told   
him of her boyfriend. She then smiled at Mamoru and was   
rewarded with one of his dazzling smiles which made her melt   
like butter in the sun.   
  
Usagi and Mamoru then went back to their daily routine after   
she had told her boyfriend to wait for her in the cafe of the   
hospital.   
  
"So, why didn't you tell me you had a boyfriend? I thought we   
were friends."   
  
"I must have slipped my mind.. hehe." Usagi replied nervously.   
Mamoru was very curious and wanted to know more about his   
rival and so he asked her how they had first met and how long   
they had been together.   
  
"Well, before I had finished my education as a physiotherapist   
I have worked in an ice parlor and Jeremy often came to the   
parlor because only we had his favourite vanilla ice cream   
from Germany and so I got to know him. That was two years   
ago.   
  
I think in that little time span when I worked at the parlor   
he ate more ice cream than he had in his entire life before. I   
thought it was so sweet that he came every day just to see me.   
Well and after a month he finally asked me out and we did a   
lot of romantic things like picnics in the park or going out on   
the lake with a boat. Well that was two years ago and a lot has   
changed. We are not doing those things very often anymore.   
He has to travel a lot, you know. He works for his father's   
company- something with computers- and he sends him to the   
U.S very often. So I got to see him very little in the last three   
months." Usagi sighed but then put on a cheerful face again   
and turned to Mamoru "Hey look at the time! We almost lost   
half an hour with my chit-chat. So you must work for the rest   
of the time really hard. There will be no mercy from the great  
Usagi!!!" she told him a bright smile adorning her face.   
  
Mamoru frowned a little bit and tried his best puppy dog face  
to get away from her torture but Usagi stayed consequent.   
The training was very hard as usual but Mamoru didn't bother   
it at all, he started to make progress and even tried to walk on   
crutches but it was still very hard but Usagi encouraged him to   
keep trying and told him that she believed in him which made   
him smile like a lunatic. Nobody had ever told him that he   
believed in him and that he could do something he himself had   
always be the one to force himself to go on.   
  
After they were finished they decided to go straight back to his   
room instead of visiting the small rose garden because Jeremy   
was waiting for her at the cafe. Halfway to his room she   
suddenly remembered that she had promised to visit one of her   
patients who would go home the other day. She wasn't sure if   
to leave Mamoru alone who went back to his room on the   
crutches for the first time but he insured her that he would be   
alright and that she shouldn't worry. Usagi gave him a small   
hug much to Mamoru's pleasure and headed to her next   
destination.   
  
Mamoru went down the hallways towards his room smiling   
and imagining Usagi was kissing him instead of   
that guy Jeremy. When he was about to enter his room he   
heard a strange noise coming from the storage opposite his   
door. Being the curious guy that he was he cautiously peeked   
through the half-opened door only to freeze in shock.   
There in the storage stood Jeremy making out with one of the   
hospital's nurses.   
  
Mamoru's blood began to boil and had he been able to stand   
without the crutches' support he would have knocked the   
living daylights out of that guy. So he decided to   
go back to his room and deal with the slimy rat later. Sitting on  
his bed Mamoru couldn't find any rest he had to think about   
that two-timing slime who dared to be unfaithful to the most   
wonderful girl in the universe   
  
How would he explain this to his Usako? Should he tell her   
and shatter her heart, maybe she wouldn't believe him and   
think that he just was jealous of her boyfriend. Then she would   
never speak to him again.. and that he knew he couldn't bear.   
So he decided to let things go their way and wait and see; she   
out find out sooner or later what a foul character Jeremy really   
was. Hopefully she would find out very soon.   
He was ripped from his thoughts when he heard a knock on his   
door, looking up he found Jeremy standing in the doorway.   
  
"Mind if I come in?"   
Mamoru motioned his hand signaling him   
to come in. He thought that he could have a very interesting   
little chat with that guy who cheated on HIS beautiful little   
bunny.   
  
" Usagi sent me one of the nurses to tell me she would come a   
little later because she had to visit somebody. Whoa, that nurse   
was hot! Didn't know there were so many cute girls here   
because if I had I would have visited Usa-chan at her work   
earlier ." Mamoru suppressed the urge to slam his fist into the   
other mans face. He couldn't believe what he was saying.   
"What's your name? Just remembered I didn't know yet."   
  
"I'm Mamoru. Say, do you often look at other girls?" Jeremy looked   
at him slyly then looked around and whispered " I don't only   
look at them, you know what I mean?" Mamoru was ready to   
kill that guy , "I mean there are so many beautiful women and   
why should they not also have a part of me. Usagi should be   
proud to have me as her boyfriend, not a lot of girls get that   
privilege."   
  
"Does Usagi know about that?" Mamoru   
questioned.   
  
"Nah, she doesn't know and she would only freak   
out, she doesn't understand that we guy need more than one   
woman at a time, right?" Mamoru just nodded, playing along   
to get more information.  
  
He couldn't believe how talkative   
Jeremy was and how proud of his many "adventures" with   
women. Mamoru found out that Jeremy had a girlfriend in   
every country he had business to do and that he would   
someday marry one to make his father believe he had settled   
down.  
  
He couldn't believe what he was hearing, how could somebody   
play such cruel games with a woman's heart. He felt himself   
losing control and wanted nothing more than slam his fist into   
the other man's face but the sight of a goddess standing in his   
door made him forget about his plans.   
  
Obviously she hadn't heard anything of their conversation   
because was walking towards Jeremy smiling and hugged   
him when she reached him. Before Usagi and Jeremy decided   
to go she asked Mamoru if everything was alright and if   
he had made it to his room without any problems.   
He smiled at her and wished her a good evening and   
wonderful dreams. "It only will be wonderful   
dreams if I dream of you Mamo-chan." she thought   
to herself immediately feeling guilty for thinking those things  
about another than her boyfriend but she just couldn't help it.   
Mamoru was always on her mind and she felt as if he was   
always with her in a way.   
  
Mamoru couldn't sleep that night , he was thinking about   
Jeremy and his way of treating women which he feared would   
someday hurt Usagi as well. He couldn't tell her though- she's   
too much in love with him -he told himself.   
  
The next morning he felt awfully tired and didn't want to crawl   
out of bed at all. He ate his hospital breakfast which he had   
gotten used to and was actually scared when he found out that   
he started to like it. That was when he made the decision to get   
out of that clinic as quickly as possible. After breakfast he   
made some sit ups and then started reading one of his physics   
books. When he looked at the clock again it was an hour past   
noon already. He knew that Usagi often was late but an hour   
was too much even for her. So he sat up on his bed and was   
about to stand up with the help of his crutches when he   
suddenly felt something very strange. He felt sadness and   
despair but it weren't his own feelings it were somebody   
else's. -Usako?- at first he couldn't believe that he was   
actually feeling her pain but when those feeling intensified so   
much it almost made him faint he knew there was something   
very special between his angel and himself- a very strong bond   
that connected them, like they shared one soul and they felt   
when the other was in need. If he could he would have jumped   
out of his bed and would have run to her side, it didn't matter   
that he didn't exactly know where she was.. he knew he would   
have found her. But unfortunately he couldn't leave the   
hospital that easily and it hurt him more than anything else to   
not be at her side and to not exactly know what was wrong   
with her.   
  
Later a nurse told him that Usagi had called that morning to   
tell that she was ill and wouldn't come to work for a few days   
and she had told the nurses to take good care of her patients   
while she was gone. Mamoru had to smile at that, "Always   
thinking about everyone else first." he whispered to himself.   
He decided to work on himself without her help. He imagined   
it couldn't be that hard anymore. After all he could walk again   
although he still needed the crutches but he was determined to   
get what he wanted..... his ability to walk again and also Usagi.   
A week had gone by and Usagi hadn't shown up at the clinic   
yet. Mamoru started to worry and was about to call for a nurse   
when he heard a soft knock on his door. When he looked up he   
saw a beautiful little face peek into his room and his only   
thought was "She's back!".   
  
He told her to come in and when he looked at her he saw her   
tired face and her empty eyes. All   
emotions had left them and they looked almost lifeless and that   
broke his heart; never would he have thought to see her that   
way. He asked her what had happened and told her not to tell   
him that she was sick because he knew it wasn't the truth. She   
looked at him surprised and then started to tell him what had   
happened.  
  
Obviously that day when she had left with Jeremy   
he had asked her to marry him which shocked Mamoru to no   
end, and she had said yes happily. They had shared a   
wonderful evening and Usagi hadn't minded him flirting a   
little bit with one of the waitresses because she knew that he   
loved her and wanted her to be his wife. She had left the   
restaurant earlier to get home and tell her parents the great   
news but had forgotten her purse at their table, so she had   
come back to the restaurant to get it but when she arrived at   
their table he saw Jeremy kissing another woman.   
Shocked she had stomped to his table and asked   
him who the other woman was and why he was   
doing this to her.   
  
He hadn't even known the other woman's name   
and had told Usagi to calm down and   
that it was her he would marry anyway.  
  
Usagi had thrown her engagement ring at him and had   
left saying that she never wanted to see him again.   
Mamoru was relieved that she had found out soon enough   
that this man wasn't the right one for her.   
  
After she had finished her story tears streamed down her   
face and Mamoru took her into his arms to comfort her. Again   
they both felt that strange warmth wash over them. Usagi   
stopped crying and snuggled up to him even more. After what   
seemed like an eternity they reluctantly pulled apart and   
looked into each other's eyes. Mamoru knew that if he didn't   
stop himself now he would lose control and kiss her and   
maybe scare her away by that move. It was too soon after that  
horrible experience with Jeremy.   
  
Mamoru pulled back a little and told her that he had something   
to show her. She looked at him a little puzzled when he moved   
to the edge of the bed and started to stand up. Usagi gasped in   
surprise when he stood upright beside her and then started to   
walk a few steps until he was standing in front of her. She shot   
up from her sitting position and hugged her friend fiercely.   
After they both had calmed down she looked into his eyes and   
congratulated to his wonderful progress, although she was a   
little sad that she hadn't been the one who had helped him with   
that wonderful step.   
  
He quieted her and told her that he couldn't have done   
it without her help and that she had been his only   
reason to go on. Usagi smiled shyly both not brave   
enough to make the next move.   
  
Mamoru was now allowed to go home in a week after the last   
tests had been made. Usagi visited him every day and they   
always sat in their Rose garden for a long time talking about   
everything, except their feelings for each other.  
  
Usagi was very light headed and looking forward to seeing her   
Mamo-chan that day and spending the day with him in their   
secret place. She knew she had never in her life felt such   
intense love and friendship before and it excited her that she   
felt those things for Mamoru. He was perfect ,sweet, caring   
and always there for her. Usagi knew that this was so right,   
those feelings she had for him would last eternally; it was as if   
their souls were bonded. Her only problem was: Did he feel the  
same way? She certainly hoped so, although she wasn't 100   
per cent sure. But by the way he had comforted her and cared   
for her she thought there was a good chance that he would feel   
the same or similar.  
  
When she entered Mamoru's room she was more than   
surprised to find him there kissing a little red head. Usagi's   
heart broke at that moment and she asked herself how she   
could have been so stupid to think that he would love her, it   
wasn't his fault but then again why had he been so nice to   
her??? Then she found the answer: he wasn't any better than   
Jeremy who had only used her. Mamoru had been there to   
comfort her after the break-up only to make her believe he was   
better but in fact he wasn't, he had just used her just like   
Jeremy had. Tears came to her eyes at the realization , she had   
been so ready to give Mamoru her heart and soul and he had   
taken them and thrown them away... now she was empty and   
not able to feel anything anymore. She didn't know how long   
she had been standing in the doorway but when the kiss   
between Mamoru and the girl broke apart she was still there. When   
Mamoru saw Usagi he quickly pulled away from the girl and   
tried to explain everything to Usagi but the answer he got from   
her made his heart stop:   
  
"You don't have to explain anything to me Chiba-san.   
It's your own business what you do with girls   
and it had been obviously enough what you have been doing 2   
minutes ago." Her voice had been so cold he almost hadn't   
recognized it as her own.  
  
Before Mamoru could say anything more she had stormed out   
of his room leaving him and the red head behind.  
  
Mamoru tried to follow her but the girl held him back and   
looked at him confusedly, "Mamoru-san, who was that?"  
"Oh, shut up Natsumi! You just ruined my life. Why did you   
kiss me? You know exactly that I don't have any feelings for   
you, I have told you a million times!!!! How did you know I   
was here anyway?" Mamoru growled at her while prying her   
arm off of his own.   
  
Walking out of the door he couldn't find   
Usagi anywhere and had the feeling that she wasn't in the   
hospital anymore. Returning to his room he found Natsumi   
sitting on his bed reading one of his books. Mamoru knew he  
had to get her out of his life once and for all.  
  
That girl had been trying to gain his attention ever since they   
started Med. School. He had never shown interest and   
wondered why she still had been so persistent.  
  
After talking to Natsumi it seemed as if she had black mailed   
one of the students who usually brought him his college stuff   
to the hospital , so she would know where to find him. And she   
did find him.. and entered his room, threw herself at him   
starting to kiss him in the most horrible moment ever possible:   
The time Usagi came into his room.  
  
"Look Natsumi! I don't want to be with you, I'm sorry. I'm   
sure you're a nice girl, but we wouldn't be a good match. You   
have to understand that I'm in love with another girl." Natsumi   
had tears in her eyes after realizing that she could never have   
Mamoru. With that knowledge stormed out of the hospital,   
leaving behind a very lonely and desperate Mamoru who   
didn't know how he could win back his angel Usako.  
"She surely must think I'm not any better than her ex-  
boyfriend." Mamoru thought.  
  
The next day Mamoru tried to persuade one of the nurses to   
give him Usagi's address or telephone number but obviously   
she had told them not to tell him.  
  
Usagi didn't come to the hospital that week anymore and   
Mamoru left without having had the chance to explain   
everything to her and confess her his love.  
  
When he entered his apartment everything was as he had left it   
except there was more dust. Once again he started to feel   
lonely and even more depressed than he had been before. He   
had the chance to happiness and let it slip away in the blink of   
an eye. After he had settled in once more he started to study for   
his classes to get Usagi out of his mind but it didn't help. He   
just couldn't stop thinking of her. Her eyes, her smile, the way   
she lit up his darkness and made him feel alive for the first   
time in his life.  
  
He then decided he would fight for her, win back her faith in   
him and make her remember all those beautiful hours they had   
spent in their Rose garden. He picked up the telephone book   
with "T" and stated searching for "Tsukino Usagi". It was a   
quite unusual name and he hoped there wouldn't be too many   
Tsukino Usagis in Tokyo or that she still lived at her parents'.   
  
But he was lucky. Picking up the receiver shakily he started   
dialing her number. He didn't know how she would react and   
if she even ever wanted to see him again. Then somebody   
picked up the phone.  
  
"Moshi, Moshi." A cheery voice on the other end exclaimed. It   
wasn't Usagis. Mamoru was taken aback, obviously he had the   
wrong number, or.... "Hello, can I speak to Tsukino Usagi, please?"  
  
"Uhm.. she isn't at home , do you want to leave a   
message for her?"  
  
"Can you please tell her that Chiba Mamoru called and that   
I'm re..." He couldn't even finish his sentence as he was   
interrupted by the girl who had answered the phone "WHAT?   
How DARE you call after what you have done to her? You are   
a worthless, slimy pig, you know that? The poor girl has been   
the whole last week and you have the nerve to call her,   
Mister?" Mamoru tried to calm her down and explain   
everything.  
  
After had found out that the girl's name was Aino   
Minako, one of Usagi's best friends and had managed to make   
her listen to him, he explained everything to her. He told her   
the whole story about him having been lonely for all his   
life because of his parent's death and that Usagi had been the  
first person to ever consider him as a friend, that she was  
the only one he had ever let in and finally he confessed to  
Minako that he loved Usagi deeply and wanted her to know the   
whole story with Natsumi. He felt somehow strange to tell his  
story to someone he didn't even know, but he knew he had because   
maybe Minako was the only one to help him talk to Usagi.  
What he didn't know was that Minako loved bringing people   
together and do a little match-making. She understood now   
what had happened and felt that Mamoru was being honest.   
She knew that he loved her best friend truly and deeply   
otherwise he wouldn't have told her his story which surely   
hadn't been easy for him.  
  
She now knew that Mamoru wasn't in any better condition   
than Usagi who had been crying all night and day since she   
had caught Mamoru and that girl kissing.  
  
Minako promised Mamoru to help him win Usagi back and she  
already had a plan.  
  
"Where are we going Minako-chan? I hope you are not trying   
to set me up with another guy!! You know I'm not ready for   
another relationship after Ma.... I mean Jeremy." Usagi told the   
bouncy girl walking next to herself.  
  
"Aw.. come on! We both know that you are not crying over   
that ass Jeremy anymore.. and don't you try lying to me, Usa-  
chan. I really am worried about you, you hardly ever leave the   
house anymore. I just wanted to make a little stroll with you in   
the park and doing some girl chatting and I know the perfect   
place for us to rest!!!"   
  
Usagi was so deep in thought that she didn't even realize that   
Minako was leading them to a certain secret Rose garden.  
  
Only when she smelled the roses she looked up and realized   
where they were. She had to think about the happy times she   
spent there together with Mamoru but quickly dismissed the   
thought after remembering that he was just another man who   
played with women's hearts.  
  
"Can I leave you here alone for a minute Usagi-chan? I just   
saw that totally cute guy from the Arcade over there!! I have to   
go talk to him before another girl does. You understand that,   
don't you? You can come with me if you want." Minako told   
her friend.  
  
"No, it's okay. Just go ahead, I'll wait here." And with that   
Usagi sat down on the small stone bench and stared up at the   
sky.  
  
"Do you mind if I join you?" a voice asked softly.  
Usagi spun around only to see Mamoru standing behind her   
holding 2 dozen crimson red roses in his arms. He smiled at   
her almost shyly; afraid every move could shy her away and he   
would never see her again. Minako had given him this   
opportunity to make up with his beloved and make her   
understand what he truly felt.  
  
That Usagi was shocked was an understatement. She stood up   
and wanted to turn away and leave him there alone but   
something in his eyes made her stop. It was definitely love she   
saw in those deep blue eyes.. but could it really be true?  
He was a liar, wasn't he? But he looked so sincere and there   
was such love and renewed hope in his eyes that she just   
couldn't leave.  
  
Mamoru came closer to her and handed her the roses which   
she took like reluctantly. Then she looked up at him skeptically.   
"Please, just give me 5 minutes to explain everything to you. 5   
minutes and then I'll leave your life forever if you want me   
to." He pleaded. Usagi just nodded her head yes and Mamoru   
motioned for them to sit down.  
  
He tried his best to tell her what had happened between   
Natsumi and himself and wanted to make her see that it was all   
a misunderstanding. She never said a word but just looked him   
in the eyes and what she found there startled her; never had she   
seen so much love and sincerity before; and then he said those   
words she longed to hear for such a long time :   
  
"I love you, Usako."   
  
That made her smile, not only did he love her but   
had also given her a pet name. She didn't mind one bit being  
his little bunny.  
  
Obviously she had been quite for too long for Mamoru had   
stood up and started to turn away from her interpreting her   
silence for refusal.   
  
Upon seeing this Usagi jumped up from her sitting position   
and hugged Mamoru as tightly as she could manage and   
whispered a soft "I love you, Mamo-chan" into his   
ear; forgotten where all those tears she had shed over him and   
her heart started to beat once more.   
  
Mamoru was at first frozen in place not knowing if he had   
just heard right then put his arms tightly around   
her waist hugging her back and spinning her around   
then he softly put her down and tilted her chin up.   
  
Looking into her baby blue eyes his heart melted and their lips   
met in the softest of kisses.   
  
When they finally broke apart they smiled at each other and   
Usagi cuddled closer to Mamoru's incredible warmth. Her lips   
still tingled with the sensation of Mamoru's kiss which was so   
different to all the other kisses she had gotten until now. It was   
as if their souls were forever bonded through this kiss.  
  
" Will you stay with me forever, Usako?"  
  
"Yes, I will and you'll never be alone anymore. I'll love you   
eternally, Mamo-chan." And with that Mamoru leaned in once   
more and kissed her again, but this time more passionate than   
both of them had ever known possible.  
  
The two lovers were totally oblivious to their spectator who   
stood at the entrance of the garden smiling and congratulating   
herself for her wonderful plan of bringing those two together.  
  
6 years later.....   
"Mommy, Daddy! Come on, hurry up! You have to look at this   
place.. it's sooooooooooooo beautiful!" a young girl at the age   
of 5 with pink Odangos and brown eyes exclaimed excitedly.   
Her parents walked up behind her hand in hand.   
  
"So you like this place, little one?"   
  
The pink haired girl nodded at her father's question.   
  
"This is were Mommy and I told each other how we felt for the other.  
It's also the place where I proposed   
to her 6 months later. She said yes   
and I was the happiest man alive." He finished   
and smiled lovingly at his beautiful wife   
and put one arm around her waist.   
  
She looked up at him with a smile that reached her eyes.   
"This is also the place where you told Daddy that   
you were pregnant with me, right?" The cheerful   
little girl asked taking her mother's hand.  
  
"That's right Chibi-Usa. Do you think   
it's time to tell Daddy our little   
secret, munchkin?" Usagi asked her daughter bending down to   
be at eye- level with the girl. Chibi-Usa grinned and nodded.   
Mamoru could only stare at his two girls and asked   
"What secret?" arching one eyebrow.   
  
Usagi smiled sweetly at him and standing on her tip toes   
whispered into his ear "We're getting another baby, Mamo-  
chan." Mamoru looked at her smiling, tears forming in his   
eyes. Before kissing his wife he whispered   
  
"Aishiteru Usako. You are making me   
the happiest man alive."   
  
Five minutes later the happy family walked out of the Rose   
garden hand in hand. Mamoru looked at the beautiful sunset   
and thanked the Gods for all the love, joy and light in his life.   
He had everything he had ever wished for.   
  
  
The End.   
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  



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